Saint of the day · August 26
Ferial Day (Ordinary Time)
WeekdayLiturgical colour : Green
Today is a ferial day in the Twenty-First Week of Ordinary Time. In the Catholic liturgical calendar, a 'ferial day' or 'feria' refers to a weekday that does not celebrate any particular saint or special feast. During Ordinary Time, these ferial days invite us to enter more deeply into the ongoing mystery of Christ’s life and teaching through the daily readings at Mass. Unlike feast days, ferias have no proper prayers or readings but draw from the biblical texts assigned to the season and week.
Ordinary Time is marked by spiritual growth in the everydayness of life, offering an opportunity to seek holiness through ordinary tasks, relationships, and prayer. The Church, in her wisdom, provides these times of lesser solemnity to help the faithful meditate on the unfolding Gospel with patience and consistency. Even without a specific feast or saint to commemorate, every Eucharistic celebration remains an encounter with Christ himself, nourishing the spiritual life of believers.
These days remind us that the journey toward sanctity is not reserved for extraordinary occasions or heroic saints but is a daily calling. On a ferial day like today, we are encouraged to listen attentively to the readings, pray quietly, and reflect on how Christ’s words call us to conversion and deeper love.
Ask a question about today’s feast
Local variations
- France — St Caesarius of Arles, bishop
The liturgical day
Mass readings
"If anyone is unwilling to work, neither should he eat" — 2 Th 3, 6-10.16-18
Brothers,
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,
we command you
to avoid every brother who leads a disorderly life
and does not follow the tradition you received from us.
You yourselves know
what you must do to imitate us.
We did not live among you in a disorderly way;
and the bread we ate,
we did not receive it for free.
On the contrary, through toil and hardship, night and day,
we worked so as not to be a burden to any of you.
Of course, we had the right to be supported,
but we wanted to be a model for you to imitate.
And when we were with you,
we gave you this command:
if anyone does not want to work,
neither should he eat.
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace,
at all times and in every way.
May the Lord be with you all.
The greeting is in my own hand, Paul.
This is how I sign all my letters,
it is my handwriting.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with you all.
– The word of the Lord.
Ps 127 (128), 1-2, 4-5
Happy is he who fears the Lord
and walks in his ways!
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands:
Happy are you! To you, happiness!
This is how the man who fears the Lord
will be blessed.
From Zion, may the Lord bless you!
May you see the happiness of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
"You are indeed the sons of those who murdered the prophets" — Mt 23, 27-32
At that time,
Jesus said:
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites,
because you are like whitewashed tombs:
on the outside they have a beautiful appearance,
but inside are filled with bones
and all kinds of unclean things.
So you also outwardly
appear righteous to people,
but inside you are full of hypocrisy and evil.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites,
because you build the tombs of the prophets,
you decorate the tombs of the righteous,
and you say:
“If we had lived in the days of our fathers,
we would not have been their accomplices
in shedding the blood of the prophets.”
Thus, you testify against yourselves:
you are indeed the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
So then, fill up the measure of your fathers!"
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org